Mini Trucks

Dedicated to letting the sparks fly...

24.7.06

Making Air...

Compressors are the source of air, so if you don't have one, you don't have air. You would have to stop at a gas station and fill up your airtank every time you're out. For a simple install why not get a compressor. Here's a diagram giving you a basic idea of what you have to take on.

You should go to various online forums to find what relay you would need for your specific application. Your setup might also differ from the one shown here.

This is not the only type of compressor you can get. There are some belt driven compressors that require you to mount inside the engine compartment, attached to the drivebelt system. These compressor blow massive amounts of air compared to a regular electric one, but the installation might not be a pleasant one. Either way you will be able to replenish you air. Different compressors have different duty cycles. Some have 100% duty cycle, meaning they can flow air all of the time. You can fill 100 tanks without it kicking off. Others are 20%, they can run 12 minutes out of the hour, so it might take a little longer to fill your tank if you have a high demand (hitting the switches constantly). So basically if you have a low duty cycle compressor then make sure you don't run out of air before you take on that speed bump. A good place to mount it is near the tank with a check valve on the line between them. A check valve makes sure the pressure from the tank isn't making a force directed towards the compressor. You should use this because filling a tank isn't like filling a tire. Tanks hold anywhere from 120psi to 250psi and even more. It exerts much more outwards force than a tire. All in all, it's nice to have a compressor on board to save you from trips to the pumps.

3.1.05

Shaving corners...

The front end of a truck makes all the difference. You need that smooth look that everyone wants. Shaving your corner markers does just that. From the side or the front it looks wicked. It's a simple modification that requires a bit of time and effort to get just right. Anytime you shave anything on a vehicle it has to look like it came stock that way. So, make sure it's flush and follows the body lines. You can start by removing the factory corner markers. Then sand around where the light use to be. You need to sand because you will be welding a new metal patch. You could also go fiberglass, but that eventually cracks due to body flex and slamming the hood. Take your time building the patch that will cover the hole. Make it so it fits flush with the hole. Now, start welding. Anytime you weld on the body, never run a bead around the filler piece in one continuous pass because you will burn and warp the metal. If this happens you have to use body filler. Body filler can bubble over time if it's used in excess, and it just doesn't look good. Start by making spot welds on different corners of the piece. This way you are making sure not to warp the steel. Once you are done welding, you can then grind down the welds so they feel flush with the body. Now start sanding until you get rid of any imperfections. A good way to find those imperfections is to use your hand. It might look perfect, but with your hand you can feel ridges or dents. Now that the patch is perfect you can primer and spray the paint on. It's always a good idea to do all body modification before the whole truck is painted. This way you don't have to color match and blend in the paint to make it look flawless. If you don't have a welder or have any clue how to do body work, take it to a reputable body shop. They can do this for a reasonable amount of money. Shaving corner makers might be illegal where you live, so check the law before you do it and start getting ticketed every time you go out for a cruise. Not that digging your frame in the road isn't illegal, but you don't have to do that around the cops anyways. If it's done right you should end up with something like this. This Toyota also has a phantom billet grill.